The Shaker Bison will head out on the road to take on the Ballston Spa Scotties at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Shaker had to skate by with only a one-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 14-run drubbing they dealt Albany on Wednesday. The Bison never let the Falcons get on the board and left with a 14-0 victory. The Bison haven't had any issues with the Falcons recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive win against them.
Hannah Hipwell
| 04/16/25 @ Albany | 11 |
| 04/14/25 vs Guilderland | 5 |
| 04/11/25 @ Averill Park | 7 |
| 04/09/25 @ Saratoga Springs | 5 |
| 04/07/25 vs Albany | 8 |
| 04/01/25 vs Troy | 5 |
Hannah Hipwell was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out 11 over six innings pitched. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, one stolen base, and one run. That stolen base was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ruby Szemplinski, who fired off two home runs and four RBI while going 2-for-5. Sarah Syden was another key player, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Shaker was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Ballston Spa faced Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Monday. The Scotties were the clear victors by a 13-2 margin over the Spartans. The Scotties might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won three matches by 11 runs or more this season.
Like Shaker, Ballston Spa also got a great game from a two-way player: Livia Wiltsie. She struck out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits. Those 14 strikeouts gave Wiltsie a new career-high. She was also stellar in the batter's box, firing off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Ballston Spa let Madelyn Perrone and Ava Boni run wild. Perrone got on base in all five of her plate appearances with one home run, two runs, and two RBI, while Boni went 1-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. The team also got some help courtesy of Katelyn Weatherwax, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs.
Shaker's record now sits at 7-1. As for Ballston Spa, their record is now 5-2.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Wednesday. Shaker hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Ballston Spa struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.3 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Shaker beat Ballston Spa 4-0 when the teams last played back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bison since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
